diff --git a/.github/workflows/version-and-release.yml b/.github/workflows/version-and-release.yml
index eb50531807..7c996e5bd5 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/version-and-release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/version-and-release.yml
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ jobs:
         run: |
           realversion="${GITHUB_REF/refs\/tags\//}"
           realversion="${realversion//v/}"
-          echo "::set-output name=VERSION::$realversion"
+          echo "VERSION=$realversion" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
 
       - name: Set up publishing to maven central
         uses: actions/setup-java@v2
diff --git a/pom.xml b/pom.xml
index 9807923e1f..e2d0183a05 100644
--- a/pom.xml
+++ b/pom.xml
@@ -46,9 +46,11 @@
 
 	<properties>
 		<github.global.server>github</github.global.server>
-		<slf4j.version>1.7.36</slf4j.version>
 		<jedis.module.name>redis.clients.jedis</jedis.module.name>
+		<slf4j.version>1.7.36</slf4j.version>
 		<resilience4j.version>1.7.1</resilience4j.version>
+		<jackson.version>2.16.0</jackson.version>
+		<maven.surefire.version>3.2.3</maven.surefire.version>
 	</properties>
 
 	<dependencies>
@@ -88,6 +90,7 @@
 			<version>1.19.0</version>
 			<scope>test</scope>
 		</dependency>
+		<!-- test -->
 		<dependency>
 			<groupId>junit</groupId>
 			<artifactId>junit</artifactId>
@@ -115,15 +118,17 @@
 		<dependency>
 			<groupId>com.fasterxml.jackson.core</groupId>
 			<artifactId>jackson-databind</artifactId>
-			<version>2.14.2</version>
+			<version>${jackson.version}</version>
 			<scope>test</scope>
 		</dependency>
 		<dependency>
 			<groupId>com.fasterxml.jackson.datatype</groupId>
 			<artifactId>jackson-datatype-jsr310</artifactId>
-			<version>2.14.2</version>
+			<version>${jackson.version}</version>
 			<scope>test</scope>
 		</dependency>
+
+		<!-- circuit breaker / failover -->
 		<dependency>
 			<groupId>io.github.resilience4j</groupId>
 			<artifactId>resilience4j-all</artifactId>
@@ -166,7 +171,7 @@
 			<plugin>
 				<groupId>org.jacoco</groupId>
 				<artifactId>jacoco-maven-plugin</artifactId>
-				<version>0.8.5</version>
+				<version>0.8.11</version>
 				<executions>
 					<execution>
 						<goals>
@@ -192,7 +197,7 @@
 			</plugin>
 			<plugin>
 				<artifactId>maven-surefire-plugin</artifactId>
-				<version>3.2.2</version>
+				<version>${maven.surefire.version}</version>
 				<configuration>
 					<systemPropertyVariables>
 						<redis-hosts>${redis-hosts}</redis-hosts>
@@ -321,7 +326,7 @@
 				<plugins>
 					<plugin>
 						<artifactId>maven-surefire-plugin</artifactId>
-						<version>3.2.2</version>
+						<version>${maven.surefire.version}</version>
 						<configuration>
 							<test>**/examples/*Example.java</test>
 						</configuration>